"Arthur Hanket and Katrina Ferguson steal the show as the battling spouses George and Charlotte"
REPRINTED FROM SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
If you’re looking for Shakespeare in San Diego, head to the Old Globe. New plays? Check out La Jolla Playhouse. But if you’re a fan of farce, there’s no local theater better for the fast-paced comedies than North Coast Repertory Theatre.
Over the past 15 years, the Solana Beach theater has built a loyal following for these silly, door-slamming shows, like this month’s “Moon Over Buffalo,” which opened Saturday night.
The Ken Ludwig backstage comedy has all the elements necessary for a crowd-pleasing show — a strong cast, a good door-lined set, well-paced direction and the effervescent atmosphere required to keep its lightweight script aloft.
“Moon” is the fourth farce Matthew Wiener has directed at North Coast, beginning with Ludwig’s similar backstage comedy “Lend Me a Tenor” in 2011. Comparing the two, Wiener’s direction of “Moon” is much stronger, more uniform, naturalistic and less over the top.
Set in 1953, “Moon” is the story of a failing touring repertory company headed by married actors George and Charlotte Hay. At a theater in in Buffalo, N.Y., the tour collapses after the Hays’ daughter, Rosalind, leaves the company following a breakup with the tour manager, Paul; George impregnates the new ingenue, Eileen; and Charlotte decides to leaves George for their attorney, Richard.
Add to this a bottle of whiskey, an unexpected visit from film director Frank Capra and a case of mistaken identity and you’ve got enough high jinks for two hours of laughs.
North Coast Rep newcomers Arthur Hanket and Katrina Ferguson steal the show as the battling spouses George and Charlotte. They’re both ebullient and expansive in their engaging “show people” performances and they’re naturals at the punchy, period-style dialogue. Hanket also pulls off believably an extended and difficult drunken scene.
Back for her fourth farce at North Coast is Jacque Wilke as the Hays’ headstrong and exasperated daughter Rosalind. Wilke co-starred in Wiener’s “Lend Me a Tenor” eight years ago, and in 2008 she made a memorable local breakthrough in the farce “Don’t Dress for Dinner,” also at North Coast Rep.
Matthew Salazar-Thompson returns for his third farce at North Coast, starting with Ludwig’s “Leading Ladies” in 2006. In “Moon,” he plays the Hays’ lovesick but amiable lawyer, Richard.
Completing the cast are Roxane Carrasco as Charlotte’s hard-of-hearing mother, Ethel, who’s the tour costume manager. Josh Braaten plays tour manager Paul. Arusi Santi is Rosalind’s tongue-tied new boyfriend, Howard; and Brittney Bertier is the unexpectedly pregnant actress Eileen.
As he has for all of North Coast’s farces, resident scenic designer Marty Burnett created the show-within-a-show set: a tidy backstage area with a central turntable to show the action that occurs onstage at Buffalo’s Erlanger Theatre.
The only misstep in Wiener’s fleet-footed stage direction is repeatedly sending the actors through the wrong doors clearly labeled dressing rooms and stage right.
Matt Novotny designed lighting, Elisa Benzoni created costumes and Melanie Chen Cole designed sound.
There’s nothing surprising or groundbreaking in North Coast’s tried-and-true formula with “Moon,” but it’s a solid entry in the company’s long history of farce.
When: 7 p.m. Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Through Feb. 10.
Where: North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana BeachTickets: $45-$56 (discounts available)
